Shattered Dream
by Riku Kingdom Hearts
Summary: Naminé had wanted to see one person when she returned. There was one person she wanted to see more than anyone. So it did hurt her heart when she only saw Riku waiting for her… and not the other who looked just like him.


Naminé's eyes flickered open. Immediately she closed them as soon as the bright lights hit her eyes. She knew what had been happening to her, but still the shock of opening her eyes to such a bright light was not what she expected.

"Take it easy," a voice instructed. "Take each step slowly, you will still feel a bit disoriented."

Naminé tried to open her eyes again, this time much slower so the light could let her eyes adjust. Her eyes began to focus on the ceiling first and then to those who were around her. The three men that stood around her were; Iezno, Ansem the Wise, and Even. All of them looked to her expectantly, wanting to ask her a series of questions, but they were considerate enough to let her adjust at her own pace.

Soon enough she moved forward, and felt her body shift and position into sitting up right. She breathed in deeply, taking in her first real breath as a real person. She had never felt so relieved before from a single breath. She still never expected any of this to happen, yet it had.

After she felt comfortable, the three scientists began to carefully ask her questions. They asked how she felt and if anything felt off. Once she answered their first set of questions, they left her off the examination table. After a few more tests, Naminé was told she would be ready to leave.

"Someone will be outside of the castle waiting to pick you up," Even said as he filed away some notes.

"Thank you," Namine replied as she walked.

Before she left the room she glanced to Ansem the wise. She stalled for a moment, keeping her gaze on him. She knew him when he was DiZ… and there were still thoughts and memories of him from that time. But he had helped give her a body now. He had moved past that time and tried to be better.

_"I'll have to try and talk to him another time…" _Naminé thought to herself before pressing on.

She headed down the hall before it lead her to the exit of the castle. There she saw Dilan and Aeleus at the top of the staircase. They were there to help guide her down to the courtyard, where she would be picked up.

It was a bit surprising to her, to have so many people being nice and wanting to help her. Her time as a Nobody never brought any of that. So this was a nice change for sure.

They lead her to the courtyard where she could already see something in the sky. Looking up she realized it was the gummi ship and it came down for a landing. Slowly it descended, and many feelings began to stir within Naminé. Not only was she given a replica body to live as a full person… as a Somebody… but she was going to get to see everyone in person. She would be just one of them… as one of their friends.

Then the door to the gummi ship opened and she saw someone exit out of it. She hurried forward to see who it was, her heart fluttering slightly. Just another thing she would have to get used to now with full and real emotions.

Though her heart felt like it nearly stopped when she saw who faced her.

Riku stood before her, but it was only him. There was no one else around him or near him. He looked to her, almost seeming a bit lost in thought. But slowly he reached out his hand to her and smiled.

"_Where is… what could have happened…"_ Naminé thought to herself, trying to figure out one simple thing. "_Why is it only Riku here? Surely he must…"_

She paused her thoughts and pushed them aside. Though she could feel the slightest pain of worry in his heart. "_Something to ask for later. Not to focus on now."_ Naminé finally reached out, giving a smile of her own, and took Riku's hand.

He nodded to her and he escorted her up onto the gummi ship. "Everyone is already at the island. You were the last one who needed to be picked up," Riku explained as he took his seat at the pilot's chair.

"Ah, I see. Sorry if I kept everyone," Naminé replied softly, staring down at the floor.

"No, it's all right. It doesn't matter when we get there, as long as everyone has fun in the end," Riku replied.

"Is… everyone there?"

"Yeah? Why?" Riku asked looking to her as he piloted towards Destiny Islands.

"I mean everyone… even…." Naminé exhaled slowly. "Even… you know… him?"

She wasn't about to say 'your replica' to Riku. It didn't feel right to say that. She wanted to be as polite as she could with the matter. Though slowly she could feel the fear turning inside her. Naminé could see the expression change in Riku's face at her words. The answer she feared grew inside of her, causing an uncomfortable feeling within her heart.

"Oh… him," Riku replied quietly, his shoulders slumping slightly. "No… he isn't going to be there."

Naminé clasped her hands against her chest tightly. She breathed deeply in and out, trying to contain the sadness that wanted to escape from her. "I'm sorry I brought it up. I shouldn't have asked," she said quickly to try and divert from thinking about it too deeply.

"It's okay, you were curious after all," Riku replied with a solemn expression now across his face.

The rest of the ride was in silence. Neither of them knew what to say to one another now and it made it much more uncomfortable. Thankfully their arrival to Destiny Island was coming up quickly. Soon enough they made it and went to go land down on the world. When they were down there on the island, Naminé gawked at the beauty of the island before her.

She had seen it all from Sora's memories. And she had created fake memories of her being there. She had even drawn the island many times in her sketchbook. But being there in person was an entirely different level to it. The sound of the waves, the way the sun glistened off the water... it was beautiful... and it was also so breathtaking.

Suddenly a hand was placed on Naminé's shoulder, pulling her from her thoughts. It was Riku again. His expression had cleared up and there was once again a nice, kind smile. Though it left her to wonder things and again her heart was filled with that slight pain.

"_If he was here… would he smile at me like that? Would he want to see me after everything?"_ Naminé pressed her lips together and smiled back again. She didn't want to ruin her first day on the island by thinking too deeply on the subject. And she didn't want to let Riku know she was still worried about it. She had to enjoy herself, that what was she was here for and what everyone else was doing.

* * *

The evening was slowing with the sun nearly being set. The party had died down and everyone who didn't belong to Destiny Islands left. Naminé stayed there though. She had no home to go to, though Roxas had offered her to join him in Twilight Town she declined. Though she had spent some time there in the mansion, she felt most connected to Destiny Islands. That was probably due to her relation with Kairi, but she still did love the view that the island brought. So peaceful and tranquil.

She stood at the shore's edge, watching the waves wash up and down, covering some seashells but also bringing new ones in to discover. She looked down at her hands and unclasped them. She still had some shells from when she was looking with Xion. They were pretty little things and Naminé wanted to keep them close. Maybe… just maybe she could make something with them that was her own.

"Hey Naminé, you ready to head back?" Riku's voice called out to her.

Naminé turned around and saw that Riku was walking towards her. When the pain in her heart returned upon seeing him, she knew she couldn't wait any longer. If she kept her questions to herself she might not be able to hold it.

"Riku…" she started looking directly at him. "I need to ask you something."

"Yeah? What's up?" Riku said as he finally walked right up to Naminé.

"I need to ask, I mean I need to know. What… What happened to him?" Naminé asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Why isn't he here? Shouldn't he be? Roxas is back, I'm back, and even Xion too. But not him?" Naminé tightened her hands a little, but not too tight as she was afraid she would break the shells in her hand. "Where is he…?"

Riku lowered his head. A long sighed was let out afterwards. "I'm sorry Naminé… he's gone." The words were faint, almost as if it was hard for Riku to admit it.

Naminé's eyes widened. Her vision slowly becoming distorted and blurred. "G-Gone? But…"

"He had found me in the Realm of Darkness when I was looking for Aqua," Riku explained. "But by then his body had been lost and he was only a heart left in the darkness. He rested in my heart for a while, but then during the battle at the keyblade graveyard…"

Riku breathed out slowly again before he continued. "He took out the dark replica of himself… and then he left the empty vessel…" Riku raised his eye, his eyes heavy and saddened. "He left it for you."

Naminé dropped the shells she had been holding. She raised a hand to cover her mouth, shocked at the answer she was given. She knew that she did fear that he wouldn't be back, but she had not expected this at all.

"He wh-what?" Naminé asked, as if she hadn't heard Riku and wanted to make sure she was hearing things right. Maybe she had heard him wrong. Maybe it was just her own fears playing with her mind.

"He made sure that you would have a body. He had said to me that he had one last thing he wanted to see through. I didn't realize it then, but now I get it. The last thing he wanted to do… was to make sure you had a chance to live your own life."

Naminé dropped down to her knees. Her whole body began to shake as so many feelings filed through her heart. She had heard right. There was no mistaking it now… the boy she most wanted to see… was gone.

"Naminé?" Riku asked, sounding concerned. He kneeled down and placed a hand on Naminé's shoulder. "You all right?"

"Y-You mean… he gave up his chance to live… just so I could live?" Naminé asked, the tears she had been holding back now streaming down her face.

"Yeah… that's what happened. At first I told him to take it… I thought he deserved a chance too like everyone else. But he told me no… that the world already had me. And then said he was doing this all for you."

"He still thought of himself as a replica of you?" Naminé asked. Though she really did not want to use the word 'replica' it ended up coming out. She had to ask more, she needed to find out the reason behind this all.

"It kind of sounded that way…" Riku sighed. "Though I think he proved himself to be more than me by that point. In the end though he still gave you a chance."

"But…" Naminé whispered. All of her sadness was meshing together and the tears were coming down harder. Soon a string of anger mixed in there… or maybe it was frustration. Naminé wasn't too sure.

She stared up at Riku, her eyes red from crying. "I didn't want this though! I didn't want… I didn't think that me having a chance at life… would come at the cost of someone else's life! Especially him…"

Riku looked at her. He knew the replica of him had cared for Naminé. He knew that much. But he hadn't realized that Naminé cared for him back. "You really wanted to see him?"

"Of course!" Naminé sobbed, her whole body trembled from each sob. "Even though he learned all his memories were fake… that all we had together was nonexistent… he still wanted to protect me. He still cared about me in the end despite knowing I had just made up his past for him. He really did care… and it made me feel happy… that someone could actually care for me despite the terrible things I was forced to do."

Riku immediately pulled Naminé into a hug. "I'm sorry Naminé. I wish I could have done more to stop him. But he had made his choice and I let him do it. I should have tried harder though… he deserved to come back as much as you or anyone else."

Naminé cried onto Riku's shoulder as she let the truth sink in. Oh how she had hoped to see him again, and finally talk with him. She wanted so badly to see the one who truly cared for her and she wanted to make things right between the two of them. But now it would never happen.

"I didn't even… g-get to see him one last time," Naminé wisped. "I wanted to see him… I wanted to see him again so badly."

Riku couldn't find the words to say to her. He stayed there holding her, now rubbing her back gently, but he didn't know what words to say. Was there even something he could say? There was nothing he could do to truly make it up to her. All he could do was be the support that he could and help her through this.

"Did he have… I mean… what were his last words? Did he have anything else to say about me?" Naminé asked after the sobs toned down.

"He had wished me luck… though I think he meant it more than just for the battle. I think he also wanted to make sure that you would have someone to talk to after all of this."

Naminé nodded her head in understanding. She could understand that Riku would help out. Doing what he could to stand in for his replica. Though… it wasn't the same. They may have been technically the same person… but it was not the same to Naminé. Riku was only acting on the replica's wishes, but if there was any true feelings… she wasn't too sure. She knew it wasn't the same between the two of them, but she was thankful for Riku being kind and considerate to her.

"Thank you… Riku… Though you don't have to… you know… you don't have to do all of this for him."

"I want to help though. You don't have to hurt alone about this. I miss him too. I was genuinely surprised to see how much he had changed. I am sure he would have been fine if he had the chance to live again."

"It would have been nice…" Naminé whispered, all of her energy finally faded from her.

"But we'll still remember him in our hearts," Riku replied.

Naminé nodded slowly before pulling away from Riku's hug. She wiped away any remaining tears that she still had. "Yeah… I won't forget him. I'll always keep him close to my heart."

Naminé finally stood back up and looked at the darkened sky. "Could you… give me a bit more time? Just need a little more time to myself."

Riku stood up before nodding. "All right. Just let me know when you are ready." He then walked off to give Naminé enough space.

Looking down Naminé bent over and picked up the shells she had dropped. She hadn't realized it before, but the shells she had collected… were all shades of yellow with the tips of some being green. "_Like the fake good luck charm…"_ Naminé sighed again as she looked at the pieces.

Suddenly a thought came to her that brought a small smile to her face. "_Maybe I'll make a proper charm this time. I may not be able to ever give it to him… but I'll make it as a memory of him. It's the least I could do."_

Naminé then looked up at the star filled sky. Though she still was upset that she would never see him again, she knew she had to cherish what she had and do what she could to move on. Even if it would hurt for a while, she knew she could do it.

Then before she was ready to leave, she whispered out one finally thought. "Thank you…"

* * *

**Okay yeah I made a new story, but it is only a oneshot (and that is the plan this time to keep it as that lol). But I had been thinking about how Normua said in an interview that the repliku was who Namine wanted to see the most. And it made me so sad that he gave up his chance at life all for her. T.T**

**So I made this out of sheer feelings for that. Hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know what you thought. **


End file.
